The publication “Adaptive Cruise Control System Aspects and Development Trends” by Winner, Witte et al., released at the SAE International Congress & Exposition, Detroit, Feb. 26-29, 1996, describes an adaptive cruise controller which detects preceding vehicles by radar radiation and undertakes a distance control or speed control as a function of the detected objects. This publication describes constructing such a unit so that the radar device, the target-object selection, as well as the distance and speed controller are accommodated in a shared housing.
From the publication “Auf eigene Verantwortung” (On One's Own Responsibility) by E. Kittler, published in the periodical Mot 2/2000, pp. 74 through 76, an autonomous intelligent cruise controller is described, in which the distance sensor, operating on the basis of radar, as well as the control unit for the distance and speed control are provided separately in a vehicle.